1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns the centrifugal separation of blood into its component parts of serum or plasma and cellular material and more specifically concerns an assembly for the collection, separation and isolation of serum or plasma from blood by the application of centrifugal force.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Prior hereto apparatus for isolating blood serum from whole blood by centrifugation of the blood in the presence of a thixotropic sealant was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,935. U.S. Pat. No. 3,852,194 discloses an assembly for isolating blood serum from whole blood by centrifugation to emplace a thixotropic sealant barrier. In the latter disclosure, the assembly comprises an air-evacuated blood collection chamber within which there is loosely disposed a thixotrope. In such and assembly there is a tendency for the loose thixotrope to coat the inner walls of the blood collection container. This coating prevents the subsequently collected blood from contacting the glass walls. Contact between the collected blood and the glass is desirable to facilitate the rapid clotting of the blood, prior to centrifugation.
The assembly of my invention is an improvement over the prior art. For example, the assembly of my invention permits one to use a thixotrope sealant to isolate the serum or plasma from the substantially cellular portion of the blood rapidly and without prolonging clot formation of the collected whole blood. The assembly of my invention is also economical to construct and does not require extensive training to operate.